At no time in history have we had so much information at our fingertips. With the internet, we have a vast amount of knowledge about everything.
With the internet of things we have a live pulse on where our vehicles are, the speed they are
traveling. We know how many steps we’ve done everyday and what our heart rates were while
doing it.
- With all the data we have access to about our credit records and spending habits we can know
which customers are more like to pay us. - With artificial intelligence and machine learning, we can predict which people are likely to buy
our products and when. We can even customize every experience on the internet so that the
suggestions that each person gets through adds are unique to their needs and behavior. - With social media we can reach our target market with a few clicks and engage with them.
With bitcoin, we are no longer reliant on banks.
The questions is: ‘Are all these things making our lives better or worse. Is it bringing us closer or
pulling us further apart?’
I suppose the answer is in how we use all these technologies. With what heart. Is it just to enrich
yourself or to become famous? Is it to make a real difference in the lives of others.
What is my role in this big play called life? Why was I brought into the cast? How can I make a
difference?
What amazes me is that with all these amazing advancements we still cannot eradicate severe
poverty. Look at Africa, India and others. The poverty is shocking. It makes you want to put your
head in the ground like an ostrich and act as if you didn’t see that. We see more marriages
ending up in divorce than ever before in history. More children not speaking to their siblings.
More wars and divisions than ever before.
How can we use technology to give more to the needy? How can we use technology to restore
families? How can we use technology to unite people from different backgrounds?
How can we put a human heart in a robot?
Written by:
Phillip De Jager Managing Director of ICS Flow
